Department for Transport

Hammersmith Bridge: Repairs and Maintenance

Lord Trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government, furtherto the meetings of the Hammersmith Bridge Taskforce, what progress they have made with repairing Hammersmith Bridge; and when they expect the bridge will fully re-open.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Hammersmith Bridge is owned by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (LBHF) and therefore responsibility for making decisions on its repair lies with the borough. My Department and Transport for London (TfL) are working constructively with LBHF as it makes progress with its business cases for the project. The submission of these cases is a condition for the release of any Government or TfL contribution to the cost of repairing the bridge. The works are split into two phases: stabilisation and strengthening. The completion of both phases will allow the permanent reopening of the bridge to all users. LBHF is due to start the stabilisation phase of works in February. The timeline of the project to reopen the bridge fully is dependent on the engineering solutions chosen by LBHF.

Railways: Tickets

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Independent Rail Retailers there are.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department for Transport does not license Independent Rail Retailers, that is the responsibility of Rail Delivery Group.

Railways: Invalid Vehicles

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether people who use mobility aids with lithium ion batteries are permitted to travel with them on trains.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Train Operators are required to state in their Accessible Travel Policies, which set out the level of services and facilities disabled passengers can expect, whether they allow the carriage of mobility scooters on their trains. Information on all train operators’ policies on the conveyance of mobility scooters can be found on the National Rail Enquiries website.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Billing

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the increase in energy costs for those living in rural areas; and what plans they have to alleviate those additional costs.

Lord Callanan: The Government believes it is essential that consumers of liquified petroleum gas and heating oil receive a fair deal. A competitive market allows consumers of both fuels to shop around for the best price for each delivery. The Government believes this provides the best long-term guarantee of low prices. Support is available to eligible off-grid households through the Warm Home Discount, the Winter Fuel Payment and the Cold Weather Payment.

Wind Power: Construction

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to supportwind turbine construction in England.

Lord Callanan: The UK has 11.3GW of offshore wind installed with a further 9.1GW in construction. The Government has a target of 40GW by 2030, including 1GW of floating wind. The fourth Contract for Difference Allocation Round is currently open and will bring forward new projects. As set out in the Net Zero strategy, the Government is providing £380 million for the UK’s world leading offshore wind sector, investing in supply chains, infrastructure and early co-ordination of offshore transmission networks, securing jobs and benefitting communities across the UK.

Department for Education

Supply Teachers

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of school students being taught particular subjects wholly by supply teachers ahead of their summer examinations; and what measures they will introduce to take any negative effect into account.

Baroness Barran: Supply teachers perform a valuable role and make an important contribution to the smooth running of schools by filling posts on a temporary basis and covering teacher absences. A key principle behind the government’s education reforms is to give headteachers the freedom to use their professional judgement to decide the structure of their school's workforce. In deploying staff, school leaders should be satisfied that the person has the appropriate skills, expertise and experience to carry out the work.The department recognises that pupils taking exams this year will have experienced disruption to their education caused by COVID-19. Together with Ofqual, we consulted on and have confirmed a range of adaptations to GCSE and A/AS level exams, which take this disruption into account.GCSE, AS and A level pupils have been provided with advance information, published by exam boards on 7 February, on the focus of their exams in most subjects to support revision. Pupils will also benefit from other changes to exams, including choices of topic or content and exam aids during the exam for some subjects at GCSE. Additionally, Ofqual has confirmed that 2022 will be a transition year for grading. Grades will be based around a mid-point between 2021 and pre-pandemic grades for GCSEs, A/S and A levels.

Overseas Students: Employment

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the employment outcomes of international students who have completed their higher education studies at UK institutions.

Baroness Barran: The department publishes data about international graduates from English higher education providers and colleges who remain in the UK for employment or study one, three, five and ten years after graduating from a first degree in its annual Graduate Outcomes (LEO) publication. Latest available data refer to outcomes in the 2018-19 tax year and are published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo/2018-19.The department also publishes employment outcomes and earnings for international postgraduates from English higher education institutions in the Graduate Outcomes (LEO): Postgraduate outcomes publication. Latest available data refer to outcomes in the 2018-19 tax year and are published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo-postgraduate-outcomes.Another important data source that measures the outcomes of graduates from the UK higher education system is the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s Graduate Outcomes survey. This data gives a more rounded picture of graduate destinations than LEO data as it includes those employed or studying overseas. Further information about that survey is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates.

Overseas Students: Immigration

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many, and (2) what proportion, of international students have chosen to stay in the UK after their studies in each of the last 10 years; and what was the breakdown of students by nationality for each year.

Baroness Barran: The department publishes data about international graduates from English higher education (HE) providers and colleges who remain in the UK for employment or study one, three, five and ten years after graduating from a first degree in its annual Graduate Outcomes (LEO)[1] publication. Latest available data for international first degree graduates refer to outcomes in the 2018-19 financial year and are published in Table 45 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo/2018-19.Table 1 in the attached spreadsheet summarises the outcomes of international first degree graduates from English HE providers and colleges one year after graduation for the past five tax years. Data is only published for financial year 2014-15 onwards.The department also publishes employment outcomes and earnings for international postgraduates from English HE institutions in the LEO: Postgraduate outcomes[2] publication. Table 2 in the attached spreadsheet summarises the outcomes of international level 7 (taught and research) and level 8 postgraduates of English HE institutions, one year after graduation for the past five tax years. Data is only published for financial year 2014-15 onwards.In the attachment, minor methodological adjustments were made to the published LEO percentage outcome calculations so that graduates in sustained employment, further study or both in the UK are given as a proportion of all graduates (published LEO calculations exclude those identified by the Department for Work and Pensions records as overseas from the denominator).The publications also include breakdowns of graduates by country but focus on the 20 countries with the highest number of graduates in the 2016/17 academic year. These are available in Table 53 and Table 25 of the respective publications.Another important data source that measures the outcomes of graduates from the UK HE system is the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s Graduate Outcomes survey. This includes supplementary information about graduate outcomes, such as details of their employment destinations. Further information about the survey is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates.[1] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo/2018-19.[2] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo-postgraduate-outcomes.HL5795_table (xls, 57.0KB)

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Coronavirus: Vaccination

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherUK donations of COVID-19 vaccinations to other countries ever have conditions attached to the donation; and if so, what conditions have been placed on donations.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has consistently stressed that we are all facing the same pandemic and the threat of further waves and variants of the virus makes cooperation between all our partners and the UK ever more vital and important. For this reason, we do not ask recipients to take any steps beyond the reasonable and responsible use of the vaccines. We have donated over 30 million doses, benefiting over 30 different countries, with a further 25 million doses committed to COVAX when available. The main objective of any donation is to promote the economic development and welfare of the recipient country, though we will also seek to strengthen key relationships, in line with the Integrated Review.

China: Olympic Games

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK Ambassador to China plans to attend the 2022 WinterOlympics in Beijing.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Prime Minister's statement on 8 December explained that no officials or ministers would represent the UK Government at the Beijing Winter Olympics. It is clear that this includes members of HM Diplomatic Service.

Pakistan: Christianity

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of thekilling of a Christian priestand the wounding of another in an attack in Peshawar on 30 January; and what recent discussionsthey havehad with the government of Pakistan about the protection of religious minorities.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The shocking murder of a Christian priest, and wounding of another, last weekend in Peshawar was a disturbing indication of the violence faced by minorities in Pakistan. I (Lord Ahmad) and the British High Commissioner in Islamabad have publicly condemned the attack, and British officials in Islamabad have also privately expressed their condolences to Pakistan's Christian community.The UK regularly raises our concerns about freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and women and girls' rights at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. During my visit to Pakistan on 23 and 24 June 2021, I [Lord Ahmad] met Prime Minister Khan, as well as other senior government ministers, and discussed our concerns. I met interfaith leaders to understand the situation of Pakistani minorities, including the issue of forced conversion and marriage. Most recently, I discussed the need to promote respect for all religions with Governor of Punjab, Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, on 28 November 2021. In July the UK will host an international Ministerial Conference to advance FoRB. Under the Government's Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, the UK has supported projects in Pakistan to promote tolerance and religious freedom. The FCDO also funds programmes in Pakistan that directly address early and forced marriages and gender-based violence.

Gaza: Coronavirus

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they intend to offer, if any, to the COVID-19 vaccination programme for Palestinians in Gaza, given reports of shortages of medical equipment.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Tackling COVID-19 remains a priority for the Government. The UK is one of the largest donors to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), which supports access to COVID-19 vaccines for up to 92 low- and middle-income countries. Our £548 million commitment will support the COVAX AMC to deliver up to 1.8 billion doses to these countries by mid-2022. The Occupied Palestinian Territories was one of the first to receive vaccines from this scheme and continues to receive further consignments of COVAX vaccines, most recently on 29 December 2021.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Janke: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following reports of (1) roadblocks and checkpoints placed on entrances to the Palestinian village of Dir Nizam, and (2) military incursions into that village.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK will continue to raise the issue of freedom of movement and access into and out of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including for emergency services, with the Israeli authorities. We recognise Israel's legitimate need to deploy security measures and we encourage them to deploy these in a way that minimises tension and uses appropriate force.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Russian Language

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British nationals who are Russian speakers were employed in each of the last five years by (1) the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, (2) the Diplomatic Service, and (3) the Security Services.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Almost 60 FCDO staff members have passed Russian examinations at C1 (operational) level in the last five years, mostly Diplomatic Service staff on postings to Russian-speaking countries. It is the longstanding policy of successive British Governments not to comment on intelligence matters.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of Israeli forces firing gas bombs at Palestinian farmers on their fields near the Gaza–Israel perimeter fence; and what representations, if any, have they made to the government of Israel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: While we recognise Israel's legitimate need to deploy security measures, we encourage them to deploy these in a way that minimises tension and uses appropriate force. We have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Israeli authorities are blocking donations of winter clothes and blankets to Palestinian prisoners in jails in Israel; and what representations, if any, they have made to the government of Israel on this issue.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including the treatment of Palestinian detainees. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to detention practices.

Mali: Development Aid

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many aid and development programmes they are supporting in Mali; and through which channels this support is provided, including United Nations and UK non-governmental organisations.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: In Mali, the FCDO currently provides support through three programmes: one supporting justice and stability, one to build the resilience of vulnerable populations to shocks, particularly climate shocks, and one providing humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable, including to those affected by conflict. In addition HMG supports several stabilisation and conflict prevention projects in Mali through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund. This support is delivered through a range of partners, including UN agencies, the World Bank, international NGOs and private sector providers. The UK also contributes core funding to multilaterals and International Financial Institutions which are operating in Mali, such as the World Bank and African Development Bank.

Department for Work and Pensions

Poverty: Children

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to addresschild poverty in the UK.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: This Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families, and believes work is the best route out of poverty. Our approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment - particularly where it is full-time – in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving long-term outcomes for families and children. In 2019/20, children in households where all adults were in work, were around six times less likely to be in absolute poverty (before housing costs) than children in a household where nobody works. Compared with 2010, there were almost 1 million fewer workless households and almost 580,000 fewer children living in workless households in the UK in September 2021. We are giving the lowest earners a pay rise by increasing the National Living Wage by 6.6% to £9.50 from April 2022, and making permanent changes to Universal Credit, worth £1000 a year on average, to two million in-work claimants. With our multi-billion-pound Plan for Jobs, which has been expanded by £500 million and the new 'Way to Work’ campaign there is a national drive to get half a million people who are out of work into jobs in the next five months. We recognise that some people require extra support over the winter, which is why vulnerable households across the country are now able to access a £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund provides £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. The Barnett Formula applies in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million. To support low income families further, we have increased the value of Healthy Start Food Vouchers to £4.25, helping eligible low-income households buy basic foods like milk, fruit and vitamins. We are also investing over £200m a year from 2022, to continue our Holiday Activities and Food programme which is already providing enriching activities and healthy meals to children in all English Local Authorities.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Avian Flu

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the level of avian influenza in the UK.

Lord Benyon: During the latest outbreak, beginning on 26 October 2021, and as of 2 February 2022, there have been 595 findings of avian influenza in wild birds in Great Britain, in 179 locations involving 31 bird species in 65 counties. There have also been 83 cases of HPAI H5N1 confirmed in poultry and captive birds in Great Britain (74 cases in England, 3 cases in Wales, 6 cases in Scotland). In addition, 5 cases have been confirmed in Northern Ireland. This represents the largest outbreak of avian influenza to date, in comparison to 24 cases in Great Britain (in addition to 2 in Northern Ireland) in 2020/2021 and 13 cases in Great Britain in 2016/2017. As regards risk, the risk of incursion of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 in wild birds is currently assessed as very high (with low uncertainty) for England and high (with high uncertainty) for Wales and Scotland. The risk of poultry exposure to HPAI H5 across Great Britain is currently assessed as medium (with low uncertainty) where good biosecurity is applied, but high (with low uncertainty) where there are substantial biosecurity breaches or poor biosecurity. If, however, stringent biosecurity is in place the risk would be low for these premises. Further information on the evidence, including the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice, which supports these risk levels can be found in the Defra and Animal and Plant Health Agency’s risk and outbreak assessments available on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu-in-europe

Dogs: Imports

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Benyon on25 January (HL Deb col 69GC), how many of the dogs recently imported from Afghanistan have been found to have serious diseases; what steps are being taken to control the spread of Brucella canis,identifiedamong some of these dogs; and whether the dogs will remain in quarantine until full biosecurity guarantees can be given.

Lord Benyon: We have some of the strongest biosecurity and safety controls in the world to help protect people and animals against diseases coming into the country. Whilst I am unable to comment on individual cases, I can provide reassurance that the Animal and Plant Health Agency has worked closely and constructively with Nowzad to manage rabies and other disease risks effectively. Dogs were only released to Nowzad after fully completing the necessary rabies quarantine and treatment process. We have separately taken a number of wider actions to address the risks posed by Brucella canis. Firstly, we have required that incidences of the pathogen in dogs are now reportable under the Zoonoses Order. This will allow us to monitor the number of cases and determine whether there is a wider problem within the existing UK dog population. In addition we are working to raise the profile of the disease with public health and veterinary professionals. We have undertaken a risk review and statement on the public health risk which was published on the UK Health Security Agency website on 12 February 2021, and our Chief Veterinary Officer has written an open letter to the Vet Record to warn veterinarians about the risk and what to look for in sick dogs. We will continue to gather information on the disease risk posed by Brucella canis and will consider any further actions as appropriate.

Agriculture

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what response, if any, they have had from the agricultural industry in England regarding the Agricultural Transition Plan 2021 to 2024, published in November 2020.

Lord Benyon: Since November 2020, we have held frequent engagement sessions with both the agricultural industry representatives and farmers and heard views from across the sector. We have utilised those views in our subsequent communications during 2021 to provide further details to the schemes within the plan. There has been a high level of interest and we are working with the industry to ensure Transition Plan can deliver the range of expected outcomes.

Trapping: Regulation

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make glue traps illegal based on the danger that these present to animals, including pets.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: In our Action Plan for Animal Welfare, published in May 2021, we announced that we would look to restrict the use of glue traps as a means of pest control. Accordingly, we are supporting the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North East’s Glue Traps (Offences) Private Members Bill, which proposes to ban the use of glue traps for catching rodents except in the most exceptional circumstances. This will also address the danger that these traps pose to other animals. The Bill has successfully passed through the House of Commons and was introduced to the House of Lords on 7 February 2022. Baroness Fookes is sponsoring this Bill and we will work closely with her as the Bill progresses in the coming months.

Animals: Overseas Trade

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to pass a bill to make provision about the welfare of certain kept animals that are in, imported into, or exported from Great Britain, in the current parliamentary session.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: This Government is committed to increasing our already high animal welfare standards. Our Action Plan for Animal Welfare lays out how we will ensure the welfare of all animals, whether that be farm, pet or wild animals is set at the highest standards, as well as encouraging similar standards abroad. The Government introduced the landmark Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill to Parliament on 8 June 2021. The Bill will extend and strengthen protections for pets, farmed animals, and kept wild animals. Following introduction, the Bill has subsequently passed the second reading and committee stage in the House of Commons. This Bill is currently awaiting a date for report stage when parliamentary timetabling allows.

Cats: Sales

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the sale of (1) hybrid, and (2) wild, cats online.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have considered to tackle social media influencers promoting the sale of (1) exotic, and (2) hybrid, animals online.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The commercial sale of cats as pets is regulated under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. The 2018 Regulations set out clear requirements for those who breed and sell cats commercially, including their importation and distribution. For example, licencees must meet strict statutory minimum welfare standards which are enforced by local authorities who have powers to issue, refuse or revoke licences. Any licensee advertising animals for sale will need to include their licence number in the advert and specify the local authority who issued the licence. Additional requirements placed on advertisements include that the age of the animal for sale must be displayed along with a recognisable photograph. Additionally, the keeping of dangerous wild animals is regulated by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. Keepers of dangerous wild animals listed in the Schedule to the 1976 Act must get a Dangerous Wild Animals licence from their local authority. Licences must be obtained by keepers prior to the acquisition of such animals. All cats are listed in the Schedule to the Act, although several species – such as the domestic cat – are exempted. Cat hybrids having a domestic cat, or other exempted species, as one parent and a non-exempted cat as the other parent would require a Dangerous Wild Animals licence. Subsequent generations, involving a domestic or other exempted cat as one parent and a hybrid cat as the other parent would not require a licence. Licences can only be granted when the authority is satisfied that it would not be contrary to public interest on the grounds of safety or nuisance; that the applicant is a suitable person; and the animal's accommodation is adequate and secure. The effect of the 1976 Act is to restrict the purchase of dangerous wild animals to those who can keep them safely and provide them with suitable accommodation and diet. Influencer marketing is not a new phenomenon, however, the pace and change on social media platforms has led to a rapidly growing market. This has created opportunities for users to become influencers, and they in turn can bring positive impacts to society through campaigning or advocacy. At the same time, there is evidence of problems in this market. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has programmes of work on Online Safety and on Online Advertising to ensure the regulatory framework remains appropriate. However, it is the responsibility of all actors in the supply chain - from brands to talent agencies, platforms and influencers themselves - to ensure that this is a market that uploads the highest standards and best practice is improved. The Government is considering whether advertising regulation online should be strengthened, recognising the rapid growth of online advertising. DCMS will be consulting on the Online Advertising Programme this spring, which will look at whether the current regulatory regime is equipped to tackle these challenges.

Cats: Animal Breeding

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the harmscaused by breeding exotic cat species with domestic cat breeds in England.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to banning the cross breeding ofexotic cats with domestic cat breeds in England.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Where any animal is subject to inappropriate breeding practices, whether for commercial activity or not, their welfare may suffer. To combat this all animals are protected under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The 2006 Act requires those in charge of animals to protect them from harm and to ensure they have five key welfare needs provided for. Those in charge of animals who fail to protect them from harm, or fail to provide for their welfare needs may be prosecuted and face penalties including a custodial sentence or an unlimited fine, or both. Additionally, the keeping of dangerous wild animals is regulated by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. Keepers of dangerous wild animals listed in the Schedule to the 1976 Act must get a Dangerous Wild Animals licence from their local authority. Licences must be obtained by keepers prior to the acquisition of such animals. All cats are listed in the Schedule to the Act, although several species – such as the domestic cat – are exempted. Cat hybrids having a domestic cat, or other exempted species, as one parent and a non-exempted cat as the other parent would require a Dangerous Wild Animals licence. Licences can only be granted when the authority is satisfied that it would not be contrary to public interest on the grounds of safety or nuisance; that the applicant is a suitable person; and the animal's accommodation is adequate and secure. The effect of the 1976 Act is to restrict the purchase of dangerous wild animals to those who can keep them safely and provide them with suitable accommodation and diet. Where breeding does lead to poor outcomes for the animals involved it is right for us to be concerned. Currently, there is only very limited evidence that the breeding of exotic and domestic cats causes harm to the animals involved. Any revision of the applicable licensing schemes or new regulation would require strong and verifiable evidence of a significant welfare issue which, despite our relationships with representatives and organisations from across the animal welfare spectrum, has not been forthcoming. Nevertheless, we will continue to work with the sector to identify any issues and agree and implement improvements where they are necessary.

Cats: Licensing

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the licensing requirements for holders of (1) exotic, and (2) hybrid, cat species in England under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 anyone exhibiting wild animals (other than in a pet shop or a static circus) for seven or more days in a year requires a licence. Wild animals are defined in the Act as any animal not normally domesticated in Great Britain, and therefore covers any ‘exotic’ animal or any animal where one of the parents is not normally domesticated in Great Britain. Zoos licensed under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 are required to have regard to the Secretary of State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice. The Standards include detailed requirements in respect of the management of zoos and the animals within them. Under the current Standards, where a hybrid animal is transferred to another collection, if practical, the animal should be permanently sterilised prior to transfer.

Cats: Imports

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what considerationthey have given to the need to introduce legislation to ban the importation of F1 and F2 hybrid cats.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Pet dogs, cats and ferrets are strictly defined within the pet travel legislation as Canis lupis familiaris (domestic dog), Felis silvestris catus (domestic cat) and Mustela putorius furo (ferret). Movements of these pet animals must be accompanied by documentation verifying identification, valid rabies vaccinations, a rabies blood test (if required) and, if relevant, treatment against the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. Under the current legislation, documentation can only be issued to domestic dogs, cats and ferrets. Other species are not permitted to travel under the pet travel or commercial import rules. We consider that the legislation governing these movements is fit for purpose. Animals other than domestic animals must be entered into a zoo-approved quarantine premises and an import licence is required.

Wines: Industry

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any recent assessment of thedevelopment of the English sparkling wine industry.

Lord Benyon: The UK has a thriving domestic wine industry, with our sparkling wines standing out as among the best available today. This reputation has been built by our vineyards and winemakers, who recognised the UK climate and its geology as being ideal for the production of high-quality sparkling wine. This potential is stimulating further interest and investment in the sector, which has seen vineyard hectarage increase by a phenomenal 70% in the last five years. We now have approximately 800 vineyards, producing in the region of 10 million bottles a year, enabling our wines to be sold throughout the UK and in at least 30 markets globally.Working with the reforms that allowed us to remove VI-1 certificates, Officials from the Cabinet Office Brexit Opportunities Unit and Defra are in the process of engaging with stakeholders as part of a deep dive review of the remaining wine sector rules we inherited from the EU. Areas under active consideration for reform include giving wine producers greater scope to develop products for the low and no alcohol sector and removing restrictions on bottle sizes. Defra will announce further details and bring forward regulatory reforms for consultation in due course. We aim to create rules that protect what we have but maximise the Brexit freedoms that allow our domestic wine and viticulture sectors, and our wine trade to innovate and flourish.

Bread

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what considerationthey have given to introducinga legal definition of (1) sourdough bread, and (2) other sourdough products.

Lord Benyon: Defra alongside the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland and Wales, Food Standards Scotland, DHSC, and the Scottish and Welsh Governments are currently conducting a review of The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and The Bread and Flour (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1998 to ensure the regulations are fit for purpose and support UK industry while protecting consumers. To assist the review, DEFRA convened a technical working group made up of a wide range of relevant stakeholders to help identify and explore the issues around the regulations which cover the compositional requirements of bread and flour. As part of this, the working group is exploring the use of the term "sourdough", to assess whether providing a definition of sourdough in any legislative changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations would be beneficial to protect consumers.The UK maintains high standards on the information provided on food labels and packaging so that consumers can have confidence in the food that they buy and as part of the Government's Food Strategy, we are reviewing how food information, including labelling, can be improved. Existing food labelling rules and other requirements on the control of additives in food production ensure that food is produced safely and labelled effectively to enable consumers to make informed choices on the food they buy and consume.Bakers, including those producing sourdough products, can effectively market their products on their own merits within the rules as they stand, and legislation supports such marketing so long as it is not misleading. While discussions around the term "sourdough" are still ongoing, legislative intervention is just one option and should be restricted to areas where there is clear market failure. The Government is supportive of non-regulatory measures and encourages further work on the draft industry code of practice which could help achieve a better mutual understanding in this area.

Food: Procurement

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government when theconsultation on the proposed changes to public sector food procurement policywill take place.

Lord Benyon: We will be consulting on a set of proposed changes to public sector food procurement policy, including the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services (GBSF), following the publication of the Government’s Food Strategy White Paper due to launch shortly. The consultation will seek views on ways to promote local, sustainable, healthier food in the public sector, open public sector procurement to a wider range of businesses, and increase the transparency of food supply chains. The GBSF consultation will be an exciting opportunity for producers and consumers of public sector food to have their say and make suggestions to help shape future policy. We look forward to receiving input to the consultation from the sector, and more information will be released in due course once the consultation date has been confirmed.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Rural Areas: Finance

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to use the (1) Towns Fund, and (2) Future High Streets Fund, to (a) target struggling small rural towns, and (b) help smaller towns adapt to changing consumer trends and demands.

Lord Greenhalgh: Through the Towns and Future High Streets Funds, we are giving towns across England the chance to take their future into their own hands. We are helping places recover from the pandemic and fostering long-term growth and prosperity. The projects we are supporting will bring new jobs, help local people develop new skills and make our towns and high streets better places to live, work and shop.Places like Blyth, Northumberland; Workington, Cleator Moor and Millom in Cumbria; and Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire will benefit from Town Deals, with investment in the Workington Innovation Centre, the Energy Central Campus in Northumberland, and the Campus for Future Living in Mablethorpe.Future High Streets projects in small rural towns include the regeneration of the Crossways shopping centre in Paignton, as well as a community facility that will be provided at the Old Market place in Sutton-in-Ashfield as part of a new Community Hub, which will include an enhanced Sutton Academy theatre.We are also providing expert advice to 152 local authorities through the High Streets Taskforce, and all towns can access their online support to help them adapt and thrive.

Homelessness

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their homelessness statistics, updated on 27 January, which show that 222,360 households have becomehomeless since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, what steps they are taking to assist homeless people.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Government is committed to tackling homelessness in all its forms. The Homelessness Reduction Act is helping more people get help sooner to prevent homelessness, and since it came into force nearly 450,000 households have had their homelessness successfully prevented or relieved through securing accommodation for more than 6 months. In 2021-22 Local Authorities received £375 million through the Homelessness Prevention Grant - a £112 million increase on the previous year - which can be used to offer financial support for people to find a new home, to work with landlords to prevent evictions, or to provide temporary accommodation to ensure families have a roof over their head. This includes a one-off £65 million to help support vulnerable renters with Covid-19 related rent arrears to avoid eviction or find a new home in order to prevent homelessness. The Government will be spending over £2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the next 3 years, with multi-year funding enabling local partners to better plan services and maximise efficiencies - demonstrating our commitment to build on recent progress.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Standards

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 25 January (HL5336), why the "robust plans in place" failed following Storm Arwen, with many areas left for extended periods without broadband services.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Telecoms equipment is usually highly resilient and major outages are extremely rare. However, most telecoms equipment needs a power supply and this can be disrupted by extreme weather events, such as Storm Arwen.While telecoms operators were quick to respond following Storm Arwen, deploying emergency response teams and providing back-up generators (on a prioritised basis) to affected sites, the scale and length of the power outage meant that some sites remained offline until power was restored. This resulted in a delay to the restoration of services for a small number of customers.As part of our standard procedure for large incidents, DCMS is working with Ofcom and the telecoms sector to complete a Post-Incident Review on the Storm Arwen response.